Decoy



March 9, 1943. J, H. I LS 2,313,353

DECOY Fiied May 9, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In uenlor Patented Mar. 9, 1943UNITED STATES PATENT oer-ice nEcoY John Howard Mills, Rockport, Tex.

Application May 9, 1942, Serial No. 442,363

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in decoy geese, the principalobject in view being to provide an inexpensive, light weight,artificial, goose of such natural appearance that wild geese will belured thereby to alight near the same, and which is collapsible asregards the body and foldable as regards the neck and head to arrangethe parts in flat, compact form for porting and storage, and which isfurther adapted to be quickly and easily unfolded and expanded tolife-like form.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, allof which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will bereadily understood when the succeeding description and claims are readwith reference to the drawings accompanyingand forming part of thisspecification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved decoy goose,

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2of Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in bottom plan,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, partly broken away,and showing the parts folded and the body collapsed, and

Figure 5 is a View in vertical transverse section taken on the line 5-5of Figure 4, the head and neck forming panel being omitted.

Referring to the drawings by numerals. In the preferred illustratedembodiment thereof, my improved decoy goose comprises a pair ofduplicate body-forming, fiat, flexible sections I, 2 of cardboard, orother suitable material, arranged side by side and each decorated in anysuitable manner to simulate one side of the body, and other parts.Sections I, 2 are preferably stitched together, as at 3, along top edgesthereof, from the tail 4 of the body, the stitching terminating short ofthe front ends 5 of said sections so that said front ends are detached.A shoulder, or abutment, 6 is formed between said top edges at a pointsuitably remote from said front ends 5 for a purpose presently apparent.

A curved neck and head forming panel I, also of cardboard, or the like,is pivoted, as at 8, at the appropriate end thereof between the frontends 5 of the sections I, 2 to be folded, counterclockwise as viewed inFigure 1, in between the sections I and 2 into hidden out-of-the-wayposition, or, unfolded clockwise into edge engagement with the shoulder,or abutment, 6 into normal upstanding position. The pivot 8 of the panelI preferably comprises a rivet as shown.

Said panel I may be formed of double thicknesses of cardboard stitchedtogether, as at 1' to lend strength thereto.

Means are provided for spreading the sections I, 2 apart intermediatethe pivot 8 and the transverse center of the sections I, 2 to separatethe bottom edges of the sections and the front ends 5 part way aroundthe latter to thereby expand said sections into the semblance of thenatural goose body. A description of such means follows.

A preferably wooden, upwardly tapering, wedge-shaped, spreader pane1 9is hinged at one side edge thereof to one section, for instance thesection 2, to be folded fiat against the inner face of said section whenthe sections I, 2 are collapsed, or, into crosswise position betweensaid sections I, 2 to spread the same apart. A grommet ID is provided inthe section I for the insertion of a pin II therethrough, said pinextending from the free side edge of the spreader panel I, whereby saidpanel may be locked to the panel I in unfolded spreading position.

The hinge for the spreader panel 9 preferably comprises a strip I2 ofsuitable heavy fabric and a strip I3 of cardboard overlying the stripI2, both strips being stapled to the panel 9 on the rear face thereofand to the section 2, as at I3, I4. The bottom edge of the spreaderpanel 9 is centrally bored, as at I5, for receiving a supporting rod 16by means of which the decoy goose may be anchored in proper position inthe ground.

As will be apparent, the pivot 8 is located adjacent the top edges ofthe sections I, 2 and together with the stitches 3 provide for securingthe sections I, 2 together so that when said sections are spread apartby the unfolded spreader panel 9, the body thus formed is horizontallycurved outwardly into substantially natural form.

The sections I, 2 and neck and head forming panel I may be painted, orotherwise decorated, to simulate any diiferent type of goose.

By folding the spreader panel 9 against the section 2, and folding theneck and head forming panel I in between the sections I, 2, the partsmay be arranged into a collapsed, light weight, fiat assembly easy totransport and requiring a minimum of space in transporting and storing.Because of the few parts involved and the de scribed character thereof,the device may be manufactured at a very low cost.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A decoy comprising a pair of body sections opposed side by side andhaving top edges stitched together from a point spaced from front endsof the sections to the rear ends thereof and providing a shoulderbetween said top edges at said point, said sections being detachedaround the remainder of the edges thereof whereby the sections areadapted to be spread apart from said stitches, a combined head and neckforming panel pivoted between said front ends for swinging inwardly ofsaid front ends in between said 1 sections in an out-of-the-way hiddenposition and for swinging outwardly of said endsagainst said shoulderinto upright position, and means mounted between said sections in therear of said pivot and manipulative to spread said sections apart, saidmeans comprising a wedge-shaped panel having one edge hin ed to onesection and its opposite edge swingable into engagement with the othersection.

2. A decoy comprising a pair of body sections opposite side by side andhaving top edges stitched together from a point spaced from front endsof the sections to the rear ends thereof and providing a shoulderbetween said top edges at said point, said sections being detachedaround the remainder of the edges thereof whereby the sections areadapted tobespread apart from said st h s a o ine ad and neck ,formme pne p oted e en a d fro t nds f swi ng ardly of sai f ont ends n betweensaid sections in an out-of-the-way hidden position 3. A decoy comprisinga-pair of bodysections opposed side by side and having top edgesstitched together from a point spaced from front ends of the sections tothe rear ends thereof and providing a shoulder between said top edges atsaid point, said sections being detached around the remainderof theedges thereof whereby the sections are adapted to be spread apart fromsaid stitches, a combined head and neck forming panel pivoted betweensaid front ends for swinging inwardly of said front ends in between saidsections in an out-of-the-way hidden position andfor swinging outwardlyof said ends against said shoulder into upright position, means mountedbetween said sections in the rear of said 1 pivot and manipulative tospread said sections apart, said means comprising a wedge-shaped panelhaving one edge hinged'to one section and its opposite edge swingableinto engagement with the other section, and means to lock saidwedgeshaped panel in section spreading position comprising a grommet insaid other section, ,and a pin in said opposite edge of saidwedge-shaped panel for insertion in said grommet.

J QHN HOWARD MILLS.

